Vegetarian dishes with an Indonesian twist
Vegetarian dishes with an Indonesian twist
By Syamala Monie
JAKARTA (JP): On a recent holiday in Bali, my husband, my two grown children and I were relaxing on the little balcony outside our cottage. Each had a cup of kopi Bali, which is strong and tangy and best with a dash of sugar and lime and no milk.
The morning sun was bright, making it difficult to believe that it was just 5:30 a.m. We were wondering what to have for breakfast, when we saw a man selling something in conical packets. Being a vegetarian, I asked him if it was sayur-sayuran and he confirmed it was. So I purchased one but found that it was white rice with vegetables and pieces of chicken. I wanted to return it, but the man insisted that it does contain sayur- sayuran. Then, I realized that when you say vegetarian, it doesn't mean vegetables and only vegetables; but vegetables plus chicken, fish, etc. The concept of total vegetarianism is not known to many Indonesians.
Vegetarianism is fast gaining popularity in many parts of the world. Many become vegetarians by choice rather than by birth. India, a land of varying geographical and climatic conditions, has a wide range of vegetarian gastronomic tastes and culinary skills. Just like in Indonesia, rice is the staple food of the people of southern region. Some of the dishes are very similar to the local nasi goreng. They are best eaten with a plate of fresh salad and fried chips and eaten with fritters (krupuk).
The five recipes given below are offered to the river goddess after the rainy season. A token of thanksgiving for the plentiful rain.
1. Tamarind Rice
Cooked white rice -- 2 cups
Tamarind -- the size of a lemon
Groundnuts -- 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 tsp
Green chilies -- 4 chopped fine
Asofoetida -- 1/2 tsp
Oil -- 2 tblsp
Spices
Coriander seeds -- 1 tblsp
Sesame seeds -- 1 tblsp
Red chili powder -- 2 tsp
Cumin seeds -- 1 tsp
Urad dal (Split deskinned gram white in color) -- 2 tblsp
Fenugreek seeds -- 1 tsp
Roast all the ingredients except chili powder till golden brown and powdery. Add the chili powder.
Soak tamarind in 1 1/2 cups of hot water and extract the juice. Heat 2 tblsp of oil. Fry ground nuts and green chilies. Add tamarind juice, turmeric powder, salt and asafoctida. Boil on medium heat till the mixture becomes half. Take it out and mix the spices. To this add the cooked rice and stir well.
2. Lemon Rice
Cooked rice -- 2 cups
Juice of -- 2 lemons
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder -- 1tsp
Green chilies 4 small ones slit, 2 large ones cut in 1" pieces
Sugar -- 1 1/2 tsp
Oil -- 2 tblsp
Fenugreek seeds -- 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds -- 1 tsp
Cashewnuts -- 1/2 cup
(halved)
Asofoetida -- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves a few
Heat oil, add mustard and fenugreek seeds. When it splutters, add green chilies, salt, sugar, and cashewnuts. Fry for 5 minutes. Take off heat. After 5 minutes pour the lemon juice and mix. Finally, stir in the cooked rice and curry leaves, broken into pieces.
3. Coconut Rice
Cooked rice -- 2 cups
Coconut, grated -- 1 cup
Urad dal -- 2 tblsp
Oil -- 2 tblsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves a few
Roast urad dal and powder coarsely. Heat oil, fry grated coconut till golden brown. Take off heat. Mix rice, salt, dal powder thoroughly. Tear curry leaves into pieces and add.
4. Yogurt Rice
Cooked rice -- 2 cups
Plain yogurt -- 1/2 kg
Salt to taste
Ginger chopped fine -- 1 tblsp
Green chilies chopped fine -- 1 tsp
Oil -- 1 tblsp
Mustard seeds a few
Carrot chopped fine -- 1
Cucumber chopped fine -- 1
Mix rice with yogurt and salt. Heat oil, add mustard. When it splutters add chilies and ginger and fry for one minute. Tear curry leaves and put in. Take off heat and pour it into the rice mixture. Stir in the carrot and cucumber pieces. Serve with mango or kedondong pickle.
Pickle
Mango or kedondong 2 cut into 1/2" pieces
Salt -- 2 tblsp
Chili powder -- 1 tblsp
Oil -- 1 tblsp
Heat oil. When it starts smoking, take off heat and add chili powder. Mix salt with the cut pieces. Pour the oil mixture over the top and mix. Ready to eat after 2 hours.
5. Sweet Rice
Cooked rice -- 2 cups
Brown sugar crushed -- 1 1/2 cups
(gula merah)
Cashew nuts halved -- 1/2 cups
Raisins -- 1 tblsp
Coconut cut into tooth like pieces -- 2 tblsp
Clarified butter -- 2 tblsp
Melt the brown sugar adding 1 cup of water. Add cooked rice and simmer on low flame, till the water has evaporated. Take off heat. Fry cashews and raisins in 1 tblsp clarified butter and pour on the rice. Heat the remaining butter and fry the coconut pieces till golden. Mix with the rice. Add cardamom powder. Serve hot.
Here are some points about the ingredients. The turmeric powder can be made at home by drying fresh turmeric roots in the sun for 3-4 days and then powdering them. It is widely used in Indian cooking because of its antiseptic and preservative properties. Asofoetida is the dry sap of a tree, available in powdered form (hing). It is the very helpful for digestion. Urad dal is a white deskinned seed. Methi seeds are light brown seeds with an aroma of their own. Curry leaves are aromatic dark green leaves of the Kali Peta tree grown in Indonesia. Chili powder can be made by drying red, long chilies in the sun till crisp and then powdering them. Finally, clarified butter is obtained by heating a packet of unsalted butter until it turns a golden yellow liquid.
Happy cooking and great eating!